


My Back Against The Wall

by fight_flight



Series: Fighting Against The World [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, BAMF Stiles, Canon Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, College, F/M, Flashbacks, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Other supernatural beings, Polyamory, Sirens, Werewolves, Witches, stiles lies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 01:59:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4688174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fight_flight/pseuds/fight_flight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>Abruptly the siren stopped singing. Her face contorted into anger.</em><br/>"Wow," came a sarcastic voice over the crowd. "Wasn't that <em>effective."</em><br/>The crowd laughed at the joke and the siren's eyes glowed from rage.<br/>Derek however couldn't laugh. He recognised that voice.</p>
<p>***<br/>The pack find out about Stiles' activities outside them and school.<br/>No one is happy. Shit falls apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Back Against The Wall

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm pretty excited to put this on here because this is the _first_ fic I have actually completed. And I'm even more proud of myself because it only took me a few days to write!  
>  The title is taken from the song _Fighting Against The World_ by Vandenberg.  
>  Some warnings though!  
> A lot of this to start with is flashbacks and Stiles and Derek don't have much interaction until later on.  
> There are a few scenes that are violent but most of it is canon-typical and there isn't much.  
> Distance and time between locations is very unrealistic so just go with it. The pack is made up of people who either left or are dead. Everyone else was ignored.  
> I was thinking about adding more to this but changed my mind as I didn't really want to end up ruining what I had already written.  
> This hasn't even been proof-read so if there are a few grammatical errors I apologise. I'll get around to it at some point.  
> No one beta's my work so I don't know for sure if this is any good so feedback would be amazing.  
> Enjoy!

Derek pushed through the crowd, the roaring and screams loud around him.

Scott was right behind him, sticking close, worried about getting lost.

The rumour of a supernatural boxing ring seemed to be true. The whispers they'd heard, the werewolves that had been talking of their favourite fighters and best categories had all been true.

Usually the pack would stay out of these matters, who really minded if there was an underground supernatural boxing ring? Everyone was clearly voluntary.

And then... they'd heard about tonight's category, a weekly thing apparently. Humans vs. Monsters.

Any other day and Derek wouldn't have cared. He'd have said that the idiots knew what they were getting into and if they didn't it was still probably too much risk to disband something that would have several supernatural beings on their asses.

Scott however, with his pure morals and sense of nobility had dragged him there anyway to check it out and make sure it was safe for the humans. Otherwise they'd have to do something. And yeah, Derek's been trying _really_ hard to make this pack shit work with Scott because it's easier and probably better in the end to work together.

So that's why Derek and Scott decided to check the place out, to leave the rest at home, have a look at what might be going down and then report to the rest.

It isn't hard to get up to the fenced in 'ring' in the middle of the warehouse this thing is hosted in. Apparently it changes every couple of nights and Derek's lucky Erica used to date one of the bouncers. Most people get out of the way for Derek because 'hello? Alpha?' but he has to force past a couple. No one's taking it personally though. This fight has been talked about the entire week.

That's another reason they're there. There's a new guy in this party; a human. Some kid who fights smart and fast and like he's been doing it all his life. People have been raving. It's pretty rare for anyone to beat the kid supposedly. Derek's curious and worried about the possible threat. For all they really know this guy isn't even human.

A tap sounds through the speakers around the room and they see an announcer standing in the middle of the ring, testing the mic.

Derek frowns harder, annoyed at the conflicting smell of everything around them. There's too many people from too many places being too many things. The scents are almost impossible to focus on and identify. He can't really get a read on the people and it's making him nervous. Even Scott seems jumpy, eyes flickering everywhere.

"Welcome to Human Versus Monster night, ladies, gentlemen and everything in between. Tonight we have three fights lined up. Our first is between a hunter and a werewolf, a tale as old as time. She's a feisty woman with some neat tricks up her sleeve against one of the longest surviving omegas out there. And I'll be honest with you folks, the wolf has gone a _little_ insane."

The announcer seems positively delighted, his smile lighting up at the crowd's bloodthirsty cheers.

"Why don't we get this first one started, huh? _Bring. Out. The. Wolf!_ "

A huge, hulking, wolfed-out man stalked into the ring, his eyes glowing blue and his mouth curving into a smile. He let out a roar that sent people wild. It mostly made Derek want to rip his throat out personally.

The wolf stalked over to his corner as the announcer gave him a look. "And let's bring out our bloodthirsty hunter, the great, the gorgeous _Katherine_!"

A tall woman walked into the ring, her hair a pixie cut and her lips curled in a smirk. She winked at a couple people in the crowd and confessions of love were being thrown at her left and right. She made her way slowly to her corner, the announcer backing out of the ring and sealing it closed with what must have been a binding spell.

"This is clearly a match to the death," Scott hissed at him. "We have to stop this."

Derek was on his way to agreeing, worried about the werewolf-hunter war that could break out from the fight when the announcer spoke up again.

"And remember contestants; the first to K.O. their opponent or get them to give up wins! If either side seems to be close to death the match will stop and both contestants will be eliminated. This is a ring for fighting not for murder. We want to keep the fun alive not get shut down."

It was kind of strange how people were agreeing respectfully and the omega and werewolf nodding at each other. Derek had expected this type of thing to be to the death.

Scott and Derek shared a look. "I guess... we should just stay until the end? Make sure everything stays civil?"

"Yes that seems like the reasonable thing to do," Derek replied.

Derek had to admit. When the fight started it _was_ pretty fun to watch. Katherine was quick and witty with her style and the wolf who apparently didn't want to share his name, kept getting back up, determined to take the woman down.

The ring was _massive_. Derek hadn't really noticed before but the space was a lot larger than what was given to the audience. There was enough room for them to _actually_ fight unlike the stuff seen on TV. It was seriously impressive, very professional.

He didn't know how long the fight lasted but by the end even Scott was roaring out encouragements. Derek's fingers were holding on to the cage's seemingly weak wires and feeling the magic protection spell cast on them.

Katherine won in the end, the wolf pinned down by hundreds of thread-like wires and giving up when it was clear there'd be no more moving.

The announcer steps back in the cage when it's been cleared out again. The blood that had stained the floor has been wiped dry and only a faded brown remains on the cement.

"Next up we have a wendigo verses a human well-versed in the ways of the unnatural. Let's get our wendigo, the quiet flesh-eater of Scotland, the horrifying _Alistair_!"

The wendigo comes out, bearing sharp teeth and showing off white eyes.

"Now let's get our human counterpart out here. His name is whispered in the South, an ex-cop kicked out of the force for his ruthlessness. _Cory Williams_!"

Cory William's looks like an old soul, his eyes hard and calculating as he sweeps them over the crowd.

This fight is definitely faster, Cory being knocked out quickly and Alistair the wendigo quickly leaving, seeming worried about his self-control.

Derek is kind of wanting to leave now. The fight was good and he was interested but he's not sure it's a good idea for him to be getting excited about fights when it seems every other week they're fighting for their lives.

But they're almost done and the guy they've been hearing about hasn't even come out yet.

The ring is cleared once again and the announcer's voice gets lower, anticipation oozes around the crowd, it gets quiet. "Now... for the fight you have all been waiting for tonight. This week we're finishing the night up with a siren. She's as cold as the icy waters she comes from, her beauty makes men drown themselves, her song is deadly. I suggest you watch yourselves during this fight; you may end up falling in love. Let's hear it for _Michelle Pacific _!"__

__The whistles and cheers start up as Michelle walks in the room. She truly is beautiful, a vision of perfection. Her hair is pale blonde, almost silver and her eyes are blue and still like a lake. She seems to float over the cemented floor._ _

__Derek knows better though. The looks are just a glamour and sirens get fast and violent if their songs don't work. He remembered when they faced one a couple years ago and Stiles had found a potion that made their song powerless. He wonders if Michelle's opponent will have something similar._ _

__When the cheers die down again the announcer smiles. "Now for the guy you've all been waiting for. This warrior has taken down monsters and demons alike, this young man has run with the wolves and carved out a special place in the history of this ring. He's the youngest fighter we've got at only 20 years of age. Come on out, _Beacon Blood_!"_ _

__The guy that comes out has a mask on his face and is covered in some sort of brown leathery armour. It's unusual and looks worn but strong. The mask on his face is oval and made from dark wood. The only thing on it are two holes cut out to give a view of familiar brown eyes. 'Beacon Blood' as the announcer had dubbed him looked skinny yet muscular. When he walked to his side of the ring he seemed quick and sure. The movement didn't fit the rest of the guy in Derek's opinion. He was too familiar and that way of moving just didn't _fit_._ _

__'Beacon Blood' was carrying what appeared to be a wooden spear, the tip some kind of weird metal like brass or copper or gold or..._ _

___Oh,_ Derek realised, _it's bronze_._ _

__He was impressed at the guy's knowledge of sirens. It was really hard to find information on how to kill or injure them._ _

__The human stayed quiet as people cheered for him, his eyes focused on Michelle the siren._ _

__When the fight started Derek felt something like worry gnaw at him, watching the human. It was a strange type of worry. It wasn't exactly _for_ him but it also wasn't for what threat he might pose to the pack. It was just a general type of worry. He looked over at Scott whose face had scrunched together, watching the scene a little confused. He looked to Derek and shook his head a little like there was something he just wasn't _getting_. Derek knew what he meant._ _

__When the siren started her song, Derek had a moment of panic. He didn't have any of that potion on him. It was leaving him open for attack._ _

__The song didn't affect him though. And it took him seconds to realise why._ _

__"It's the cage," Derek told Scott. "The magic defences are protecting the audience."_ _

__Abruptly the siren stopped singing. Her face contorted into anger._ _

__"Wow," came a sarcastic voice over the crowd. "Wasn't _that_ effective."_ _

__The crowd laughed at the joke and the siren's eyes glowed from rage._ _

__Derek however couldn't laugh. He recognised that voice._ _

__Scott looked like he'd been punched in the gut, his face turning pale. "No. Oh fuck no," he whispered._ _

__Derek could feel the beginning of a shift racking through him, anger vibrating through him. "How could he be _so_ stupid?" Derek barked._ _

__"We have to get him _out_ of there."_ _

__Derek wanted to agree. Hell, he _did_ agree. But he knew it was impossible. Knew that whatever they did would be pointless, might even result in someone dying._ _

__"No. We can't, Scott. There's nothing we can do. They don't let people die in here, right? It'll be fine."_ _

__The siren let out a vengeful scream, her beauty melting away to the true ugly face, here eyes still looking like restful lakes through the rage._ _

__'Beacon Blood' lifted his spear carefully from where the bladed end was resting on the ground. "Now isn't that better? 'Be true to yourself' I always say."_ _

__The siren dashed forward, a blur of sharp fingernails and a wild hiss dribbling from her mouth. The human dashed out of the way, turning back at the last second to defend against her claws with the spear. He swiped at her and she avoided it easily. They danced around like that for a while until the siren finally got in a few slashes to 'Beacon Blood's arm._ _

__He was tired, it was obvious by the heaving of his shoulders and the way he slowly circled her._ _

__Derek saw those brown eyes narrow as he attacked again, throwing a series of quick stabs and slices at her. One landed through her leg and she screamed as the bronze melted flesh and made her collapse, dragging her useless leg away from her attacker._ _

__The human just followed her, slowly, lazily as if he was having fun toying with her._ _

__"Give up," he told her, trailing the bronze over her skin and listening to her gasp, the metal burning with every touch._ _

__She looked up at him with hatred and yelled above the noise. Her voice was full of shame as she screamed, "I surrender."_ _

__Chants of 'Beacon Blood' rose through the air and the gates were opened to take the siren away. Just as she passed the victor Michelle lashed out, smacking the mask from his face._ _

__" _Stiles_ ," Scott whined from beside Derek._ _

__Looking irritated, Stiles leaned forward to pick up the mask from the ground. The announcer came over and lifted his hand above their heads. "We have a winner!" he yelled into the microphone._ _

__The audience went wild and after a few seconds of grinning at them Stiles turned around and walked back from where he'd come from._ _

__***_ _

__Stiles felt like whooping out the window as driving his Jeep back to the house. He settled for singing loudly along with the radio._ _

__He'd decided a couple years ago to stay with his dad while he got through Berkeley. He was in his second year and although living with his dad wasn't making him a superstar at school and giving him a kind of long commute, the money he was saving was making up for it along with being around for the 'Pack Problems' that happened all too often._ _

__Unfortunately Stiles had been missing meetings a lot. In fact there'd been one the night before that he'd missed due to a last minute paper._ _

__Then there was... training. But that was important for keeping him alive on a daily basis._ _

__Stiles looked at the gym bag next to him, the one full of the leather armour he'd been given when he'd first started fighting. His mask was there on top of it all, unseen inside the bag. Today had been a slip-up. The mask had been taken off, people had seen his face. He wondered if there was a point in wearing it anymore, someone would probably have a picture up online already. He wonders if there was any point in the first place._ _

__These fights always leave Stiles feeling free and surprisingly guiltless. He hadn't told the pack but was there really a need to? It was just a recreational activity. He never got _seriously_ hurt._ _

__Looking down at his arm he nodded to himself, feeling assured. The wound was nothing but he knew Scott would slam the breaks on this. All of them would. Which is why he didn't feel guilty for not saying anything._ _

__It was just... he was _good_ at this. He loved being good at it. It was just the right amount of danger without being too much like their day-to-day lives seemed to be._ _

__Plus Stiles had contacts now._ _

__He could actually _call_ a couple people to get information. Taking down the creature of the week was easier this way. He was learning how to get these things the easiest way possible._ _

__When the Jeep pulled into the empty driveway of his house he had reassured himself. He had _nothing_ to feel guilty about._ _

__Except that when he opened his bedroom door the guilt punched him right in the stomach._ _

__"Hello, _Beacon Blood_ ," Derek said, swinging a little in his desk chair._ _

__Stiles took a deep breath and threw the gym bag into a corner. "How'd you find out?"_ _

__"We were at the fight tonight."_ _

__"We?"_ _

__"Scott and I." Derek's eyes were cold. Stiles was glad he'd stayed back a little after the fight. He had no doubt that if Derek had spoken to him right after Stiles wouldn't have been alive for so long._ _

__Stiles went over to his bed and sat down. "Awesome."_ _

__"What in the _hell_ were you thinking?"_ _

__Suddenly all the reasons Stiles had been telling himself in the car deserted him. "I... where's Scott?"_ _

__"I sent him home, told him we'd discuss it all at the pack meeting tomorrow."_ _

__"You scheduled a last minute pack meeting?"_ _

__"Yes, Stiles. I thought this was important enough." His words are careful, his voice held back._ _

__"It's _not_. Jesus, I don't know why this is such a problem. It's not that dangerous. No one has ever gotten really hurt in that underground circuit."_ _

__"Not that dangerous? Fuck, Stiles. Do you even _hear_ yourself?"_ _

__Stiles stayed quiet. He didn't know what to say, how to explain this._ _

__"How'd you get into this? _Why_ did you get into this?"_ _

__"I... I like it. I'm good at it. Plus it's good for research."_ _

__Derek scoffed. "Good for research? Look at your arm, Stiles! Is that really worth that crap?"_ _

__"Yes! It is. This is _nothing_ compared to the crap we get into so often in makes my head spin. This I can control. _This_ I have some fucking _fun_ with. Why do you even care, Derek?"_ _

__"This could endanger the pack. If anyone knew you were connected to us they might come here, try and kill the people you claim to care about!"_ _

__Stiles could feel heat building in his face. His hands curled into fists. "No one would connect us. I'm careful and so are the people I work with. This is all safe. I swear."_ _

__"Whatever. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Be at the loft at noon. If you're not there I will drag you myself." Derek left, jumping through the window like he always did._ _

__It took a while for Stiles to get to sleep that night. Derek's words kept floating around in his head and he wasn't exactly looking forward to being ganged up on tomorrow. He wasn't exactly worried about his future as 'Beacon Blood'. He didn't really think they could stop him from finding his way to the fights but Stiles wasn't entirely sure it'd be worth lying or betraying the pack for a bit of fun._ _

__He remembered when he'd first been trying to figure out his fighting name. His team had ordered a pizza and they'd sat around brainstorming. They'd talked it over for hours but nothing good had come up. 'Beacon Blood' was just something they settled on that seemed okay._ _

__Stiles wondered if that night was it for his friendship with them. If he'd have to say goodbye to his trainers and the people he'd bonded and fought with. He'd been a part of Scott and Derek's pack for a while now but he liked having people outside of them._ _

__Eventually Stiles did fall asleep. He fell asleep with wonderings of tomorrow in his head._ _

__***_ _

__As soon as Stiles entered the loft Scott was on him._ _

__"How did this happen? Why did it happen? Do you want to die? How long have you been lying to us? What di-"_ _

__"Scott, shut up," Lydia told him._ _

__He fixed her with a pained look but left Stiles to go sit down._ _

__"Thanks, Lydia-"_ _

__"Don't think you're going to get off easy with me, Stilinski," she snapped, dragging him into the room._ _

__Isaac, Erica, Boyd and Scott were all sitting on the couches and chairs in Derek's living-room-appointed-space in the loft. Erica had dragged Isaac around the year earlier to pick out furniture for the place so that they didn't have to fight over the one couch that Derek had._ _

__Derek was in the kitchen area, watching him enter with a frown on his face. Stiles was about to comment on their two absences when Jackson came in from behind him._ _

__"Where's Allison?" Stiles asked Lydia._ _

__Lydia shrugged. "A little late. Now go sit."_ _

__Stiles awkwardly made his way over to the others and sat on one of the armchairs away from the other four. Lydia sat on the couch beside it, Jackson following and looking clearly bored._ _

__Erica grinned at him over the small coffee table in between them. So maybe she was on his side? It was always hard to tell._ _

__Boyd was looking as stoic as always, eyes firmly sticking to the wall opposite him. Isaac seemed as bored as Jackson, tapping his foot along the ground impatiently._ _

__When Allison finally came in she looked uncomfortable, her eyes seeming apologetic to them all._ _

__"So let's get started with this then," Lydia said quickly. "I have some work I'd like to get back to."_ _

__Stiles was a little annoyed that the one week Lydia had come back to visit was the one week he'd got caught. If they all could've waited just _one_ week..._ _

__Derek wandered over to stand next to where Boyd was sitting. He fit Stiles with a hard look. "Talk."_ _

__"Where should I start?" Stiles sighed, shifting uncomfortably._ _

__"At the beginning maybe?" Scott replied impatiently._ _

__"The beginning, huh...?"_ _

__***_ _

###  **BERKELEY: 3:47am**

___Trust Stiles to get into trouble his first day of college._ _ _

___He'd been walking back his jeep after drinks with some of his new classmates when the girl attacked him. She'd had wild, long red hair and glowing yellow eyes. Stiles had fought against her with the sinking realisation that it was the full moon. He reached for the knife Deaton had coated in wolfsbane for him before he'd left._ _ _

___The girl reared back at the first cut, hissing at the way it burnt into her arm._ _ _

___Stiles got to his feet quickly and watched her movements carefully._ _ _

___The girl's clothes were ripped in several places and dirt covered her skin. Leaves and twigs were stuck in her hair and she seemed to be assessing him with careful eyes, her teeth bared._ _ _

___After a moment she lunged at him, growling. Stiles held his ground, slotting the knife firmly into her shoulder. The werewolf girl let out a hiss and stumbled away again, taking the knife with her._ _ _

___Stiles tried not to panic. He was out of options. The girl had his knife, leaving him defenceless. Just as he was about to run, get away while she was still taking the knife from her shoulder, someone yelled out in some kind of Latin and the girl passed out, her form fading back to human._ _ _

___"That was impressive," a man commented._ _ _

___Turning, Stiles saw the person who saved his life. The guy was slightly shorter than Stiles with sandy brown hair and green eyes. He was smiling softly and holding some sort of stone in his hand._ _ _

___"Who are you?"_ _ _

___"Ryan," he said. "And you are...?"_ _ _

___"Stiles. Thanks for uh... saving my life."_ _ _

___"Any time. So why does a human like you know about creatures like that?"_ _ _

___Stiles frowned. "Look, I know you helped me out and everything but I'm not really in the mood to spill my life story."_ _ _

___Shaking his head, Ryan laughed. "Sorry. Of course you wouldn't trust me. It's just... you have potential and I have a proposition. First, do you mind helping me get her back to her dorm? She's new at this. She still can't control herself on a full moon."_ _ _

___Any other situation Stiles would've been trying to get away from the guy as soon as he could. But Ryan_ had _just helped him and now that she was in human form, Stiles was more worried for the girl than scared.__ _

___As the two of them heaved the girl back to her dorm and Stiles pocketed the knife, Ryan explained that the girl was his friend from back home. She'd gotten sucked into the supernatural world when he'd discovered his powers as a witch. They had started at Berkeley a couple years ago and recently an alpha had brought his pack over and turned her while she'd been at a party. Ryan had only managed to convince the alpha to back off recently but the damage was done and his friend - Christy - had been changed._ _ _

___Stiles only talked once they had put Christy to bed and gone back out into the hall. He had the strong urge to trust Ryan. The sincere worry he'd shown while looking at Christy was swaying Stiles to believe him._ _ _

___"Sorry for stabbing your friend."_ _ _

___Ryan smiled. "It would've been worse if she'd done something to you. She'd never have forgiven herself. And I don't think I could've done nothing if I'd found out she hurt someone."_ _ _

___Nodding, Stiles began to walk down the hall._ _ _

___"So..." Ryan said. "About my proposition..."_ _ _

___"Yeah?"_ _ _

___"Well a couple of my friends recently put together this like fighting ring type thing and I was talking to them and they're thinking of introducing this human's against the supernatural night and-"_ _ _

___"You're kidding, right?" Stiles said, looking at him. "Your buddies are letting monsters kill each other and decided to add_ humans _into the mix? Are they crazy?"__ _

___"No, no, no, no. Sorry I should've explained this better. No one dies in the fights. We have all this magic in place so it's safe and all the participants are warned and have to act within the rules. It's just for fun."_ _ _

___Stiles peered at him suspiciously._ _ _

___"Look," Ryan said. "Just come and see one of the fights with us. Any humans we might involve in the future will be hunters and people who've been trained for this sort of stuff."_ _ _

___"Ryan, I just don't-"_ _ _

___"Come on, Stiles. Just come watch tomorrow night. What's the harm?"_ _ _

___Stiles laughed humourlessly. "How about the fact that there will be a hundred things there that could kill me? Or this could be some sort of trap?"_ _ _

___"Why would I trap you? I could've let Christy do something to you before or I could use my magic on you. But I haven't and I won't. I can protect you while we're there. Not that you'll need protection. Stuff like that isn't tolerated there. I told you already, my friends started all this for fun."_ _ _

__***_ _

__"So I went to the fight," Stiles said, his eyes still focused on his hands._ _

__"And just decided to jump in the ring yourself?" Lydia asked, annoyed._ _

__Stiles laughed, not looking up. "Not exactly."_ _

__***_ _

###  **LONGFELLOW: 11:00pm**

___"Thanks for the other night," Christy said, smiling shyly at him._ _ _

___Stiles returned it. "No I didn't do anything. It was all Ryan."_ _ _

___She shook her head. "Seriously. I'm glad I didn't get the chance to hurt you. Sorry about that by the way."_ _ _

___He laughed. "Don't worry. It's not the first time that's happened to me."_ _ _

___Christy rose her eyebrows but didn't say anything._ _ _

___"Here we are," Ryan said, knocking on a steel door. They'd come to a quiet part of Longfellow where an old factory stood. "They're borrowing this place from some people in the process of selling."_ _ _

___Stiles filed that away to check on later. He'd already confirmed the story about the alpha turning Christy by searching through articles of animal attacks that day._ _ _

___When they got inside, cheers hit Stiles like a wave. He blinked, surprised._ _ _

___"Magical soundproofing," Ryan explained again._ _ _

___The crowd wasn't huge but it was big enough to encircle the cage in the middle of the room and hurt Stiles ears a little with all the yelling._ _ _

___There was only fights every few nights at this point. Places were hard to find in the area and Ryan had a hard time finding time to do the enchanting on the cages and locations._ _ _

___Stiles found watching the fights that night unlike anything he'd ever done. The adrenaline coursing through his system and making him cheer and invest himself into the results was completely different from the terror that followed him when he fought beside Scott and the others, his life on the line._ _ _

___The fights that night were between 'creatures of mythology'. He watched harpies, sirens and even an arachne. It was captivating and Stiles found himself studying their movements, trying to learn as much as he could in case they had to deal with something similar in Beacon Hills._ _ _

___After the fights were over, the three of them headed into another room while people streamed out, re-enacting their favourite moments of the night._ _ _

___The back room held two sirens, patching each other up and trading stories about the sea, chattering away and laughing with each other. The announcer was also back there, packing up some equipment and taking sips from a coffee cup. Ryan guided them over to the two guys in the corner, one typing something up quickly on his computer and the other listing through things they needed to get done._ _ _

___The one on the computer was wearing square black glasses over his blue eyes, his black hair cut short and neat. The other was blonde, his hair longer and floppy. His eyes were a similar colour to his friend and he had a grin on his face as he talked._ _ _

___"Hey, guys," Ryan greeted as they got closer. "Stiles this is Henry," he gestured to the blonde, "and Mark." The guy with the glasses raised a hand but kept his eyes on the computer screen._ _ _

___Henry shook Stiles hand with enthusiasm. "Excellent to meet you. Did you enjoy the fights?"_ _ _

___Stiles grinned back at his enthusiasm. "Yeah they were great."_ _ _

___Ryan went on to explain that Henry and Mark were the brains behind everything and had been planning to do this since high school. Mark finally closed his laptop by the end of the story and nodded at Stiles. The guys both seemed pretty nice and Stiles had to admit the way they explained their setup seemed solid. It was intriguing to say the least._ _ _

___By the end of the night Stiles was pretty sure Ryan and Christy had become his friends. He wasn't exactly ready to trust them but he liked the two of them and he was curious about Ryan's proposition._ _ _

___Stiles crashed with Christy in the dorms that night. She'd been lucky enough to score a single room and he was grateful for not having to make his way back to Beacon Hills so late._ _ _

___The next day Ryan woke the two of them up with coffee and muffins._ _ _

___Stiles didn't have class for a while so the three of them spoke for a couple hours._ _ _

___Ryan spent the time explaining to Stiles what he wanted to involve him in. He'd apparently already recruited a couple hunters who offered to be involved every so often. They'd been tested and could hold their own in the ring and planned to train up even more within their family. Ryan knew someone who could train Stiles, teach him how to fight properly and what specifically to do with certain creatures. It would take a while but Stiles could become stronger._ _ _

___Stiles wanted to say the offer wasn't at all tempting. But he couldn't. It was the best offer he'd heard in a long time. He hated being weak. He hated not being able to help his friends. Stiles wanted to fight and he wanted to know what it was like inside that ring._ _ _

___"Okay," Stiles said. "Let's say... I was interested. What would happen next?"_ _ _

___Smiling, Ryan adjusted from where he was sitting next to Christy on her bed. "I'd call a guy and you would start your training. I'm not saying you'll get in the ring for a while but... you can start learning this stuff whenever you want."_ _ _

___Stiles nodded. "Alright. Alright. Let's do it."_ _ _

__***_ _

__Stiles paused. He'd been scared that it was a trick even then. That feeling had stuck around for a long time but no matter what the others said he didn't regret his decision. He still remembered what it was like to watch the fights and just want to be able to do the same._ _

__"Why didn't you say anything? Talk to at least _one_ of us?" Scott asked._ _

__They'd been impressively quiet while listening to the story but he felt guilty looking at his best friend's hurt expression._ _

__But the question made him uncomfortable and Erica peered at him suspiciously when his heart rate sped up. Stiles couldn't help his eyes flickering to Allison who looked equally awkward._ _

__"You're kidding," Jackson snorted._ _

__Scott looked at her and Stiles could almost see her fall apart with guilt._ _

__"He begged me, Scott. I swore I wouldn't say anything."_ _

__"It's not her fault... I came to her. I stopped her from going to find you guys." Stiles tried to get the attention away from her desperately._ _

__"Continue the story," Derek said coldly._ _

__Stiles glared at the floor. "Of course."_ _

__***_ _

###  **BEACON HILLS: 3:00pm**

___"Allison, I need your help with something," Stiles said as soon as she opened the door._ _ _

___"Stiles? What're you doing here? My dad's home-"_ _ _

___"Yeah but I'm human. What threat do I pose?"_ _ _

___She sighed and stepped back. "Come in."_ _ _

___The two of them headed to her living room and Stiles fell on her couch. "So I'm having a dilemma."_ _ _

___An amused smile worked its way onto her face. "Is that so?"_ _ _

___"Just promise you won't tell anyone. You can get angry because I know there's no way to stop you but you can't tell the pack. Or anyone."_ _ _

___Allison frowned. "Stiles..."_ _ _

___"Please, Allison. They can't know."_ _ _

___"Okay. Fine, I promise. Now tell me."_ _ _

___So Stiles told her. He explained about going to the fight and how everything worked and the offer Ryan had made him._ _ _

___"And I accepted," he finished._ _ _

___Allison gaped at him. "Stiles! What the hell are you thinking? Doing this could get you killed."_ _ _

___"It can't hurt to just train up a bit, right? Look, when they think I'm ready for a fight I'll come talk to you again and you can try and talk me out of it."_ _ _

___"But-"_ _ _

___"Allison, trust me. The reason I came here today wasn't to get your permission. I was wondering if you could come with me. I like Ryan and Christy but I don't know them that well. I'd feel better if I had someone I trusted with me."_ _ _

___She stayed quiet for a minute. "Alright. I think we should talk to the others but... I get where you're coming from. I'll help you."_ _ _

__***_ _

__"You could have got her killed!" Scott yelled, standing up. His eyes flashed yellow._ _

__Allison rose to her feet to. "Scott, calm down. I'm fine. I can take care of myself."_ _

__"What if it had been a trap, Allison? What if you two had gone in there and been ambushed by another pack."_ _

__"I can't believe both of you were dumb enough to go in there alone," Lydia put in._ _

__Erica leaned back. "So what happened next?"_ _

__***_ _

###  **CLAREMONT GYM: 10:00am**

___Stiles glanced at Allison. "Do you think I'm being stupid?"_ _ _

___The two of them were sitting in the Jeep, parked in the lot by the gym._ _ _

___"I dunno, Stiles," she said quietly. "I get why you want to train. And I know us humans can't exactly train like the others but... you could've come to_ me, _Stiles. Even if I couldn't train you all that well my dad could. I would be able to convince him. We can still go back to him."__ _

___Stiles looked at her carefully. "Allison... no offence but I don't want to learn from hunters. I know your dad has come a long way and I do respect him but I don't want to go in that direction. Thanks for offering to train me but I'm not great with bows."_ _ _

___She smiled. "Yeah, I know."_ _ _

___They got out of the car and walked together towards the gym._ _ _

___The inside was completely empty which Stiles found weird for the time they were there. The only people were Ryan and a girl with pale blonde hair tied in a bun, probably in her late twenties. She was frowning at her phone and Stiles was stricken with how much her expression resembled Derek. He held back a laugh._ _ _

___"Stiles! Hey, man. Who's your friend?" Ryan asked, eyes looking over Allison._ _ _

___"This is Allison. Allison this is Ryan."_ _ _

___Smiling politely she nodded. "Nice to meet you."_ _ _

___"Likewise," he said. "This is Bethany. She's going to be your trainer. Well one of them. But for now it'll just be her."_ _ _

___Bethany gave them a curt look over, her eyebrows stuck in a frowning position. "Don't expect this to be easy."_ _ _

___Stiles laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it."_ _ _

___Her lips curled up into a half-smirk. "Good."_ _ _

___Allison and Ryan spoke as Bethany explained to Stiles how they would begin training._ _ _

___"So you're a hunter?" Ryan asked casually._ _ _

___Her eyes flickered to him suspiciously. "How could you possibly know that?"_ _ _

___"It's kind of easy to pick up on hunters. The way you stand is alert and defensive. Plus I can see two knives in your back pocket. I'm sure you have others though."_ _ _

___"You should see me with a bow," she warned._ _ _

___Ryan raised his eyebrows. "Do you have any interest in-"_ _ _

___"No," she said. "I don't want to be a part of this. I'm just here for Stiles."_ _ _

___"So," Bethany said. "To start with I need to see your current level. Try and take me down."_ _ _

___Stiles felt the urge to protest. He knew in all the movies the guy would protest about hitting a girl but Stiles already associated this chick with Derek. He could imagine that she was a lot stronger than him. "Okay."_ _ _

___It took her three minutes to take him down. He stayed in the fight as long as he could but eventually..._ _ _

___"Three minutes. Good try, kid."_ _ _

___Stiles got up from the ground. "Thanks, it's a record."_ _ _

___Bethany's eyes laughed even as her mouth stayed in its resting position. "I think I can work with you. It'll be tough. You'll be walking around with bruises more often than not."_ _ _

___He grinned. "Perfect."_ _ _

__***_ _

__"Allison kept coming with me for a while after that but eventually I decided there was no point. I didn't think some trap was going to be sprung just because I was alone."_ _

__Scott was still clearly angry but Allison looked a little bit better._ _

__"I was confident Stiles was going to be fine. Bethany was... a good trainer. We looked into her and found that she was a pretty great teacher at the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school her father ran."_ _

__This didn't seem to make anyone happy._ _

__"So how long did you stay in training?" Boyd asked._ _

__Stiles shrugged. "I still am. I'm always in training. I don't always train with Bethany either. There've been loads of different people and creatures so that I can learn different types of fighting. Bethany is still my main instructor but yeah I have others."_ _

__"If you're still in training why were you in the ring last night?"_ _

__"I entered the ring a year after I met Bethany. I'm still training but by that point she thought it was time I earned some experience. So we came up with the name and one of my teachers found some old armour I could use. Ryan even enchanted it to make it stronger."_ _

__"Why didn't you stop him?" Lydia asked Allison._ _

__Allison frowned. "I tried. I ended up going to his first fight because I couldn't stop him. He was adamant on doing it."_ _

__"Yeah..." Stiles said laughing a little. "That didn't go all that well though..."_ _

__***_ _

###  **BEACON COUNTY: 10:49pm**

___"Okay, Stiles. Tonight you're up against something simple; a werewolf."_ _ _

___Stiles adjusted his mask and looked at Bethany. "You really think I can do it?"_ _ _

___"You just need to keep your cool. You get sloppy when you're nervous. So find a way to calm down, okay?"_ _ _

___"Umm, okay. I-I'll try." Stiles peeked out the door at the gathering crowd. "Oh god."_ _ _

___He spent the next thirty minutes pacing and listening to Bethany yell at him to_ calm down for fucks sake. _When it was time for him to fight at last he almost had a panic attack.__ _

___In the end he managed to get into the ring and be comforted by the fact that the mask was hiding his panicked expression. Although half the people there could probably smell it on him._ _ _

___The fight went... a little badly._ _ _

___The werewolf he was up against was an old beta that in training he'd probably have been fine against. But in the ring he was scared and only managed to get in a few shots with his wolfsbane coated knife. It reminded him a little of when he was facing off with Christy. The fight ended with his head smacking harshly against the floor and his vision fading to black._ _ _

__***_ _

__Jackson collapsed into laughter. "Oh god, Stilinski. I wish I'd been there. Allison tell me how much he sucked."_ _

__Allison rolled her eyes. "He wasn't _that_ bad. It was his first time!"_ _

__Erica joined Jackson in heaving laughter and Stiles couldn't help the smile that slid on his face. He had been pretty terrible but the way Allison had phrased that was so much worse._ _

__"The point is I got better. Ryan got someone in to teach me all these meditation techniques and stuff. I only lost every so often after that. Now I haven't been beaten in months. Although that could change at any time."_ _

__"No. It's not going to happen again. You're done with that," Derek told him._ _

__"Derek-"_ _

__"Done, Stiles. I don't want you going back there."_ _

__"Who are you? My father?"_ _

__"No but speaking of your father; what do you think he'd say about this? How would he feel if you died doing this? Or what if one of your opponents came here to hunt you down and found him?"_ _

__Stiles kicked the table. "The people running this aren't stupid. They're careful about who they let in and the fighters scents and details are hidden so that no one can be tracked down. Nothing will happen to me."_ _

__"You can never know that for sure!"_ _

__" _I don't care!_ " Stiles yelled, standing up._ _

__"You don't care?" Lydia said quietly._ _

__"No. I don't. If something happens I'll handle it. But it won't. I'm good at this. It's fun and I learn heaps from the fights and training."_ _

__"You don't get enough of the fighting in our everyday lives?" Boyd puts in._ _

__"It's different."_ _

__"How?"_ _

__"I'm safe. I don't feel absolutely terrified doing this. It doesn't hurt anyone."_ _

__"One day it will," Derek said quietly._ _

__Stiles curled his hands into fists before pushing past Derek and making his way out of the loft and starting up the Jeep._ _

__He didn't realise where he was going until he got to the station._ _

__It wasn't all that hard to lie to werewolves in the heat of the moment. He did care about what might happen. He wasn't entirely sure this was all completely safe. Stiles almost wanted to congratulate Derek on mentioning his dad. Stiles hadn't even thought of him but now he felt like he'd betrayed him. Lying to him about the werewolves in the beginning had been hard enough. He couldn't keep doing that._ _

__"Stiles, what're you doing here?" The sheriff asked as Stiles stepped into the office._ _

__Stiles scratched his head. "Hey, Dad. I... I have to talk to you."_ _

__The conversation took a solid hour. There was yelling from the sheriff and Stiles sat feeling awful._ _

__"I want you to quit this, Stiles. It's dangerous. I don't need another reason to worry about you."_ _

__Stiles looked at him for a few seconds sadly. "Okay, Dad. I'm sorry. You're right... I just really liked it, you know?"_ _

__He sighed. "I know, son. But I can't lose you. Don't shorten your lifespan. If you want to continue training to fight there are other places to do that. You don't need to join some fighting club._ _

__Stiles nodded, standing up. "I'll see you later, okay?"_ _

__***_ _

__His phone started ringing when he got home. He looked at the ID and swallowed._ _

__"Hey, Ryan."_ _

__"Stiles, yo. Great fight last night. Me and Christy were thinking we could get together tonight to celebrate?"_ _

__"Ryan... I have to tell you something. I'll meet up with you guys tonight but I don't think you're going to like this."_ _

__"Are you okay?" Ryan asked, concern evident in his voice._ _

__"Yeah, man. I'll meet you at the dorm tonight?"_ _

__"Alright. See you soon."_ _

__Stiles felt slightly cold at the thought of the conversation. Ryan had gotten him into this and over the years things had been good. He hated the idea of throwing it back in his face._ _

__There was something Stiles hadn't told the others about Ryan and Christy. The three of them had been... pretty close. In fact the relationship had been going pretty well. They'd gotten together after some confusion around half a year ago. Things were still pretty casual but Stiles enjoyed the time they spent together. And the sex had been _amazing_ but he was worried. What if things fell apart because of this?_ _

__***_ _

__"Hey! Nice fight last night," Christy cheered when she opened the door. She pressed a kiss on his mouth quickly before pulling him inside._ _

__Ryan was lying back on the bed when they came in. "Hi. Everything alright? You didn't seem great on the phone."_ _

__Stiles frowned. "Yeah... look, guys, I have some bad news. I can't fight anymore."_ _

__Ryan sat up quickly. "What do you mean?"_ _

__"I have to leave the ring. There's some people back home who found out and... I just can't anymore. I can't worry them like this."_ _

__"Just hide it again," Christy pressed._ _

__Stiles shook his head. "No. I'm sorry but I can't. Not anymore."_ _

__Ryan frowned. "You're important to the fighting circuit though. Leaving now... some people will stop coming. You have fans."_ _

__"You can't just _leave_!" Christy piped up._ _

__"Guys..."_ _

__"No, Stiles. I brought you into this. I got people to train you. I called in about a million favours to help you. And you're just going to turn your back?" Ryan stood up._ _

__Hurt pressed at Stiles but he pushed it down. "Yeah, Ryan. I have to. I wish I didn't but I do."_ _

__"Get the fuck out of here," he snapped._ _

__Stiles left without another word, glancing toward where Christy was glaring into the carpet._ _

__Five minutes later as Stiles was getting into the Jeep he got a call._ _

__"Hello?"_ _

__"Stiles. It's me." Bethany._ _

__"Hey, Beth."_ _

__"Just making sure we're still on for training tomorrow?"_ _

__"No actually... I've quit the ring. Sorry but I think you'll have to find someone else."_ _

__"Oh. Well, that's fine. It was great training you. I think I did a pretty great job."_ _

__"You're not... angry?" Stiles watched as people left the dorm building, dressed for a long night of partying._ _

__"Na. Why would I be? It was fun but not the end of my world. Keep in touch though, Stiles."_ _

__"Thanks, Beth. I will. Have a nice night."_ _

__"You too."_ _

__Stiles ended the call and began the drive to Beacon Hills, determined to go speak to Scott._ _

__Melissa opened the door when he go there, a frown already on her face. "Is anything going on?"_ _

__"No, everything's fine."_ _

__She sighed in relief. "Come in then. Scott's up in his room."_ _

__"Thanks, Mrs McCall."_ _

__Scott was waiting for him when he came in, clearly having heard Stiles while he was downstairs. He glared. "What do you want?"_ _

__Stiles went over and sat on his bed. "I quit."_ _

__"What?"_ _

__"I talked to Ryan a while ago. I quit. You guys were right and I'm sorry."_ _

__"Stiles..."_ _

__"It just sucks, Scott. I'm leaving behind an entire life by quitting this. I'm losing friends... people I really care about."_ _

__"I know. But you're making the right decision."_ _

__"Doesn't make it easier... Scott I was in a relationship with Christy and Ryan."_ _

__"Both of them?"_ _

__Stiles nodded._ _

__"But... can you do that? Be with two people?" Scott's eyes went unfocused._ _

__"Yeah... wait, dude. Are you thinking of someone specific here?"_ _

__Scott shook his head quickly. "Of course not."_ _

__Stiles continued to stare._ _

__"Forget about it. Have you talked to Derek yet?"_ _

__Stiles sighed. "No."_ _

__"He's not going to be angry, you know? You have quit."_ _

__"Yeah but the stuff I said... you're just a forgiving person, Scott. He's not."_ _

__Scott sat on the bed next to him. "Maybe. But you'll still have to talk to him."_ _

__"I know."_ _

__***_ _

__Stiles watched as Derek opened the loft door, glaring at him._ _

__"Hey, Derek! How's it going? What a nice night, don't you think? The sky looks so clear and the weather-"_ _

__"Stiles," Derek replied._ _

__He took a breath. "Can I come in?"_ _

__Derek moved aside as Stiles stepped past him._ _

__"Is anyone else home?"_ _

__"No."_ _

__"I'm sorry."_ _

__Derek's eyebrows rose._ _

__"You were right. Fuck, you're almost always right these days. I... I was angry and I didn't really mean half of that crap. I went to see my dad right after and I told him everything. God, I hate this. I hate how much of my life is this fucking fighting stuff. I hate that just because I quit it, I'm suddenly trash to the people I thought maybe really cared about me."_ _

__Derek stared at him. "You quit."_ _

__"Yeah, Derek. I quit."_ _

__Derek let out a heavy huff as though he'd been holding his breath. "Good."_ _

__"That's it?"_ _

__"What do you want me to say?"_ _

__Before Stiles had met Ryan and Christy, he'd wanted Derek so bad. He still did in many ways. When he'd woken up that first morning with Ryan and Christy, all of them pressed into a bed that had been way too small for the three of them, Stiles had thought faintly of Derek. He'd thought of all the time he'd spent lusting after him in high school._ _

__Over the years he'd found a place in his mind where he could forget about Derek and his stupid good looks and the way he'd become an alpha that actually took care of his pack. He could forget how warm he felt when Derek smiled which wasn't completely unusual anymore. He managed to push it all away and focus on the feel of Christy's hands on him or the way Ryan moaned his name._ _

__But now that was gone. He wasn't fooling himself that they just needed time to cool off. It was over and Stiles was hit with the repressed feelings for Derek right alongside the pain of losing Ryan and Christy._ _

__"Shit, Derek. I can't... no. It doesn't matter what I want you to say. I just need you to tell the others. I need to take a couple weeks away from this."_ _

__"Away from the pack or away from me?"_ _

__Stiles felt the sting of tears. "Away from everything."_ _

__He left, pressing the keys to the Jeep harshly into his hand._ _

__***_ _

__"Are you okay?" Scott's voice was static-y over the phone._ _

__Stiles groaned. "Yeah I'm good. Have you told anyone? About Christy, Ryan and I?"_ _

__"No, dude. Do you want me to?"_ _

__"Maybe. Yes actually. I want them to have... some kind of explanation."_ _

__"No one needs one. We all need a break once in a while."_ _

__"Thanks, Scott. But you can tell someone. I know you want to propose the idea to someone. I think I've figured out who too."_ _

__"Shut up," he growled. "Have they called or anything?"_ _

__"Not once. Guess I shouldn't be surprised. Maybe in the end they were just using me for the money. I know they always bet on me so..." Stiles trailed off, staring at the paused episode of _Family Guy_ on his laptop._ _

__"I'm sorry."_ _

__"That's okay. Maybe it was for the best. Say hi to the others for me."_ _

__"Will do."_ _

__***_ _

__It was a couple days later that Stiles jumped at the sound of a knock at his window._ _

__He blinked, walking over and seeing Derek. He opened the window with raised eyebrows. "I think this is the first time you've actually knocked. Now we have to work on getting you to the front door."_ _

__Derek rolled his eyes, stepping into the room._ _

__"So what's up?"_ _

__Derek shuffled uncomfortably. "I uh... just came to check up on you."_ _

__"Oh. Well, I'm okay? I guess?"_ _

__Derek continued staring at him._ _

__"Do you... want to stay for a while? I was just going to order a pizza."_ _

__"Yeah."_ _

__"Okay. Come down to the living room with me and pick out a movie or something. My dad's not home."_ _

__Stiles guided them down the stairs feeling weird. The whole situation was strange to begin with and Derek was quieter than usual which was saying something._ _

__He had the phone in his hand to call for pizza when he saw Derek trying to subtly sniff around the place._ _

__"Okay, Derek. What the _hell_ is going on?"_ _

__He froze. "Nothing."_ _

__"Don't give me that crap. Why are you sniffing my house?"_ _

__He frowned. "It doesn't matter. You're on break."_ _

__"You're in my house. You're sniffing my furniture. Tell me what's going on now."_ _

__"Fine. We think there's a few people in town. Their scents aren't that of normal humans. After everything that's been going on with you recently we wanted to make sure there was no one making house calls."_ _

__"Alright... couldn't you just tell me that?"_ _

__"You're on break."_ _

__"You should still tell me. Even if it's just so I'm on the lookout or whatever."_ _

__Derek nodded._ _

__"Okay. Do you still want to stay?" Stiles asked._ _

__"Sure."_ _

__They ordered a large pepperoni pizza and sat on the couch for the rest of the night watching all the _Lord Of The Rings_ movies._ _

__Stiles fell asleep against Derek's shoulder._ _

__He woke up alone._ _

__***_ _

__It wasn't until a week later that something happened._ _

__Stiles had left the house to get some groceries on a Saturday night when he spotted Ryan looking at the canned tomatoes. A girl with pale hair and blue eyes. He recognises her immediately. Michelle. The siren from his last fight._ _

__Without another look at them Stiles hurried from the shop, fumbling for his phone._ _

__Derek answers on the second ring. "Stiles?"_ _

__"Derek, hey. I think you were right about those new people in town being connected to me."_ _

__"Have you seen them? Are you okay?"_ _

__"Yeah, yeah. I'm driving to the loft right now."_ _

__"Who is it?"_ _

__"You were at my last fight, right?"_ _

__"Yeah."_ _

__"The siren," Stiles told him. "It's Michelle."_ _

__"She's here? Alone?"_ _

__"No that's the thin... Derek, she's here with Ryan."_ _

__"Ryan as in..."_ _

__"The one who got me into the fighting to start with. The one who got really angry when I quit."_ _

__"Right. Okay. See you at the loft."_ _

__"Yeah I just need to grab something from my house."_ _

__***_ _

__Stiles made his way upstairs as quickly as possible only to be stopped short at the door._ _

__"Hello, Stiles."_ _

__His heart sank. "Christy."_ _

__She stood up from her place on his bed. "Baby, why did you abandon us? You were an amazing fighter. And we had fun together, didn't we?"_ _

__"We did. But, Christy-"_ _

__"Hush," she said, pressing a finger to his lips. "Things can still go back to the way they were."_ _

__The offer was more tempting this time around. Stiles knew better though. He could still remember the image of Christy glaring at the floor as he left._ _

__He wrenched her hand away. "No."_ _

__"What do you mean _no_?" she snapped._ _

__"Exactly what I said. Now leave."_ _

__A cruel smile twisted her face. "No."_ _

__Before he knew what was happening, Stiles was thrown against the wall, his head slamming hard._ _

__Feeling dizzy, Stiles stood up, reaching into his back pocket._ _

__The déjà vu hit him hard and he gripped the knife harder, trying not to think about the first time he'd used it on her._ _

__Christy changed into her beta form, Her teeth and nails growing and her face changing into the ugliest she'd ever been._ _

__Stiles dashed forward to get in the first shot, slicing at her stomach. The wound was shallow but she still let out a growl before scratching at his arm._ _

__He hissed at the pain and Christy grinned. Stiles used her glee to aim a shot in again at her stomach._ _

__This time the knife went in deep. He was almost sick at the sound of it sinking into flesh and watched as she fell to the ground, blood dribbling from her mouth, making her choke._ _

__Stiles stared as she wheezed a few breathes before a final inhale caught in her throat and died on her lips._ _

__His own breathing came out shaky at first before building to what was the first full-blown panic attack he'd had in years._ _

__He spent the next few minutes calming himself down, using the stuff he'd been taught after that first nerve-wracking fight. He grabbed the bag in the corner of the room and hurried out, the view of Christy's body terribly unhelpful to his breathing techniques._ _

__When he got in the car he pulled out the spear from the bag along with a bottle of his siren-resistant potion. He downed it in one and started the Jeep with shaky hands._ _

__It was only when he had finally parked outside of Derek's loft when he saw the blood that was drying over his fingers and on the steering wheel._ _

__He sat there staring at them, stomach churning until his door was open._ _

__His breath hitched when he saw Derek, watching him with wide eyes._ _

__"Stiles?" he whispered._ _

__Stiles sobbed. "I had no choice. Derek, I had no choice."_ _

__"It's okay. Come inside."_ _

__Stiles shook his head. "This is so fucked up."_ _

__Derek pulled him from the Jeep gently and Stiles grabbed the spear, handing Derek a couple bottles of the potion._ _

__When they got inside Isaac hurried down the stairs. "Are you o-"_ _

__"Give us a minute, Isaac," Derek said, guiding Stiles into the bathroom._ _

__Stiles followed wordlessly, letting Derek push him into sitting on the edge of the bath and watching as he soaked a cloth, squeezing out the excess liquid._ _

__Derek propped the spear up against the wall and took one of Stiles' hands. The cloth was cool against his skin, the blood coming away easily. It calmed him down slowly until he was watching Derek with clear eyes._ _

__The broody, sour-wolf was keeping his eyes trained to his work, picking up Stiles other hand when the first was clean. His hands were a lot softer than Stiles had thought they'd be and Stiles could admit he'd thought about it a lot._ _

__When Derek was done he looked up, watching Stiles carefully. "How are you feeling?"_ _

__Stiles thought about it. "A little better. I'm thinking about permanently living in here actually. Would you mind feeding me every day, letting me stay here forever?"_ _

__Derek smiled. "I think that could work. Although you might get cold on the tiles."_ _

__With a breathy laugh, Stiles squeezed Derek's hands. They were still holding his own despite the cloth being left in the sink and the fact that Stiles' were wet._ _

__"What should I do, Derek?"_ _

__"Tell me what happened."_ _

__"Christy was there when I got home."_ _

__Derek's hands gripped his own almost to the point of hurting him._ _

__"She offered to let things go back to how they used to be. When I... when I said no she attacked me. We fought and I stabbed her. Murdered her." His voice shook. "Her body is still lying in my room."_ _

__"You need to call your dad."_ _

__"Derek-"_ _

__"Stiles, he can't come home to that. He won't know what to do. I can call him if you want but he needs to know."_ _

__"I'll call him. Just... stay with me, okay?"_ _

__"Do you still want to stay in here?"_ _

__"Yeah." He was feeling uncomfortable, the edge of the bath was pressing into him painfully and it was a little strange to see Derek on the floor in front of him. But he was so scared of leaving the room._ _

__Derek pulled him down to sit by him on the floor and Stiles pressed his face into Derek's shoulder, breathing in his scent, calming himself before getting out his phone._ _

__The sheriff answered with a gruff 'hello'._ _

__"Dad?"_ _

__"What's wrong? Is everything okay?"_ _

__"No... I did something."_ _

__Stiles murmured the entire thing into the phone, listening for his dad's shaky breath every so often. By the end of it he was sure the police were coming to get him any second._ _

__"It was self-defence. We'll get through this, Stiles. The important thing is that you come into the station now. It's not good for your case if you stay away."_ _

__Derek took the phone from Stiles. "Sheriff. You can't report this to the police. There's too much these people can use against Stiles. There's too much that doesn't add up. She was a werewolf. The police can't deal with this."_ _

__"I'm not covering this up, Derek. It's wrong and I've done it too many times."_ _

__"This is important. You don't have to cover it up. I... I'll handle it. There are people after Stiles and this isn't going to go away fast enough. Maybe not at all."_ _

__The line stayed quiet for a while. "I don't want to be a part of this."_ _

__"I'll deal with it."_ _

__The sheriff hung up._ _

__Stiles stared at Derek. "He's right. I should turn myself in."_ _

__"No, Stiles. It's not just about you. If they suspect this was a murder they'll do an autopsy, process the blood. They'll find out she's not human and it'll cause trouble for all of us."_ _

__"Fuck," Stiles hissed. "This is so wrong, Derek. Everything is turning to shit."_ _

__Derek pulled him into a hug and he sobbed, melting into it despite the self hatred making him cold._ _

__A little while later Derek left to talk to the others and Stiles debated whether or not to finally leave the room._ _

__Nothing in him wanted to leave. He felt like this was the last safe place on Earth._ _

__Derek came back in. "Erica and Boyd have gone to your house. I gave Jackson, Isaac and Allison the potion and they're going to track down Ryan and the siren."_ _

__"They need to be careful. Ryan's magic..."_ _

__"They'll be fine. Lydia gave them some stuff to counter it. She can't get away from her mother at the moment but she'll be here as soon as she can."_ _

__"Scott?"_ _

__"He's here. You ready to come out?"_ _

__Stiles hesitated. "Yeah. Okay."_ _

__As soon as he was out of the bathroom Scott had him pressed into a tight hug. "It's okay, man. It's okay."_ _

__Stiles took a shuddering breath and returned the embrace. "Thanks."_ _

__Derek was holding the spear when Stiles looked back at them. "I'm going to go find Jackson, Isaac and Allison. Stay here. I'll call when it's safe."_ _

__Scott nodded and Stiles reluctantly let himself be pulled onto the couch. Derek gave him a lingering look before rushing from the loft._ _

__Stiles fell asleep against Scott minutes after Derek left, listening to the sound of some advert on the TV._ _

__***_ _

__Someone was shaking Stiles awake._ _

__"Stiles, wake up."_ _

__"Derek? Is everyone okay?"_ _

__He nodded. "Everyone's fine. The siren's dead and Ryan is... gone. He won't be able to come back here."_ _

__Stiles looked at him, noticing the patch of blood on his jeans and the tired set of his eyes._ _

__Derek collapsed next to him on the couch and Stiles noticed Scott gone._ _

__"Where is everyone?"_ _

__"I sent them away for the night. Figured you'd rather it be quiet tonight."_ _

__"Thanks," Stiles said quietly._ _

__They sat silently for a while, leaning into each other._ _

__"You know," Stiles began, "when I went off to college I was really scared. Not because I was going to be in this entirely new place but because... I thought that might be the end of it all. I thought that the pack might_ _

__forget about me and that I'd stop running for my life on a daily basis. It was scary to think that maybe you guys would just one day stop talking to me..._ _

__"But then on my first night I met Christy. When I saw her I was kind of happy because I thought maybe I was a magnet for this stuff and maybe I'd always have you guys to come help me and fight with me._ _

__"Then we fought and I was weak and fucking _human_ and Ryan saved my life and I had these two people all of a sudden. I had them completely apart from the pack and they were offering to make me _stronger_ and _better_ than I was._ _

__"And I had to take the chance because what if one day I died because I was weak? And my dad wouldn't be able to deal and I would never get to see the end of it."_ _

__"The end of what?"_ _

__"The end of everyone growing up. I mean, Scott's so different from before all this. He's smarter and he's got so much control and he's not the kid I used to fool around with anymore. Erica cares more and she's letting people in. Boyd's still as quiet as ever but I know he's happy because he's part of the pack. And Isaac doesn't flinch when someone tries to touch him. Allison has changed what it means to be an Argent. And Lydia she's stopped the airhead act and she's proving how damn smart she is at Dartmouth on the other side of the country..."_ _

__"And me? I'm pretty sure I'm the same."_ _

__"Then you're as dumb as ever. Derek, when we met... well, I'm pretty sure you would've killed me. You've become what everyone needs. I'm sure Laura would be proud."_ _

__He smiled a little. "You've changed too."_ _

__"Yeah?"_ _

__"Yeah."_ _

__"Is the changed me better?"_ _

__Derek rolled his eyes. "Yes, Stiles."_ _

__"Okay."_ _

__Stiles didn't know how it happened. One second he was letting a fond smile tip his lips and the next thing he knew, Derek's own lips were covering his._ _

__He was sure there must have been some kind of build up. He was sure he'd never figure out who actually initiated the thing. He was also sure that the reason he forgot the moments before is because the moments during were so much more interesting._ _

__It was a frantic slide of wet lips and tongues, pushing against each other. Stiles moaned as Derek pulled on his bottom lip using his teeth and he felt as if all his bones had disappeared from his body and all that was keeping him up was the feel of Derek's hands on his hips, under his shirt, slipping over his spine._ _

__Somewhere between forever and a couple of seconds Derek pulled back, breathing heavily. Stiles could feel the breath gliding across his skin, Derek's nose still pushed against his, their foreheads still touching._ _

__Okay, so technically Derek didn't pull back anything but his mouth. They were still wound up in each other._ _

__"So," Derek said. "I know you've just gone through a traumatic experience and this probably isn't the best time but..."_ _

__Stiles laughed a little. "Yeah maybe not but considering how long I've wanted to be doing this I think it's okay."_ _

__"A long time, huh?"_ _

__"Shut up."_ _

__"Never."_ _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it.  
> I actually had a lot more I wanted to put in this but I thought if people liked it and wanted me to continue I'd make this the first in a series of one or two fics (so subscribe if you might want more in the future!) as there is a lot that could happen after that I simply didn't want to put into this.  
> Please leave your thoughts in the comments and give me some kudos!
> 
> If you want to chat or yell at me or anything my main Tumblr is [here](http://insanebloggyblog.tumblr.com/).  
> If you just want another Teen Wolf specific blog to follow, my Teen Wolf Tumblr is [here](http://lacrosse-in-the-moonlight.tumblr.com/).


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